TY - JOUR
T1 - High-resolution imaging with high and ultra high-field magnetic resonance imaging systems
AU - Nakada, Tsutomu
AU - Matsuzawa, Hitoshi
AU - Kwee, Ingrid
PY - 2008/1
Y1 - 2008/1
N2 - The development of noninvasive methods capable of affording ever higher resolution images is an ongoing major objective of scientific investigation for the benefit of both clinical medicine and neuroscience. Since its development in the early 1970s, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has remained a technology of choice for medical imaging development because of the wide range of potential clinical applications. Although conventional systems with field strengths of 1.0-1.5 T rapidly popularized MRI in general clinical practice in the 1980s, research investigations have focused on imaging yielding much higher anatomical resolution using high (3.0-4.0 T) and ultra high-field (7.0-9.0 T) systems. The substantial clinical experience with high and ultra high-field systems has made evident that there is a definite limit to which higher spatial resolution in and of itself will improve information for clinical judgment, rather, it is essential to develop the entire study as a whole, which would allow for the selection of an optimal combination of all the study elements, especially the appropriate contrast mechanism. This process is analogous to the development of suitable stains for a given pathologic process in histological techniques. In MRI, the natural physico-chemical MR contrast properties of tissues can be taken advantage of to achieve this goal, thereby obviating the need for administering contrast material to individuals.
AB - The development of noninvasive methods capable of affording ever higher resolution images is an ongoing major objective of scientific investigation for the benefit of both clinical medicine and neuroscience. Since its development in the early 1970s, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has remained a technology of choice for medical imaging development because of the wide range of potential clinical applications. Although conventional systems with field strengths of 1.0-1.5 T rapidly popularized MRI in general clinical practice in the 1980s, research investigations have focused on imaging yielding much higher anatomical resolution using high (3.0-4.0 T) and ultra high-field (7.0-9.0 T) systems. The substantial clinical experience with high and ultra high-field systems has made evident that there is a definite limit to which higher spatial resolution in and of itself will improve information for clinical judgment, rather, it is essential to develop the entire study as a whole, which would allow for the selection of an optimal combination of all the study elements, especially the appropriate contrast mechanism. This process is analogous to the development of suitable stains for a given pathologic process in histological techniques. In MRI, the natural physico-chemical MR contrast properties of tissues can be taken advantage of to achieve this goal, thereby obviating the need for administering contrast material to individuals.
KW - Magnetic resonance imaging
KW - Magnetic resonance microscopy
KW - Senile plaque
KW - Susceptibility weighted imaging
KW - Three-dimensional anisotropy contrast
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U2 - 10.1097/WNR.0b013e3282f2e00b
DO - 10.1097/WNR.0b013e3282f2e00b
M3 - Article
C2 - 18281884
AN - SCOPUS:40349087301
VL - 19
SP - 7
EP - 13
JO - NeuroReport
JF - NeuroReport
SN - 0959-4965
IS - 1
ER -